Hydraulic apparatus



Dec 3, 1935. E. v. PRENTICE HYDRAULIC APPARATUS Filed Aug. '7, 1933 12'-E DWAR 13V P ENTICE Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3Claims.

My invention relates to hydraulic apparatus for delivering water orother fluid to a place of higher elevation than a source of supply.

The principal object of my invention is the delivery of Water at anelevation above a source of supply by the direct application of powerevolved from the descent of a quantity of water through a given distancefrom the said source of supply without the use of intermediatemechanical means.

A second object of my invention is the elevation of water for irrigatingand other purposes at a minimum of expense of both equipment and theoperation thereof.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent in thefollowing discourse wherein the significance of the reference charactersin the accompanying drawing, details of construction of typicalapparatus embodying my invention, and the particular advantages thereofare explained.

Figure 1 represents a view of a complete apparatus of my inventionpartially in section and partially in elevation.

Figure 2 represents a view of an element of the apparatus in verticalsection.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrative of a varied mode of employment of thedevice.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrative of another varied mode of employmentof the device.

My invention consists essentially of means for intermittently applyingthe pressure at the lower extremity of a water column connected to asource of supply to a volume of water contained in a suitable receptacledisposed intermediately of the said source of supply and lower extremityof said water column, through a medium of lesser gravity than said watercolumn, to force the water contained in said intermediately disposedreceptacle to a higher level than said source of supply.

In any use of the apparatus, the medium of lesser gravity than the saidwater column as above referred to may be any of the fluids, both liquidsand gases, and, of course, mechanical means of similar function, whichconform to the requirement of lesser gravity than said water column.

The device illustrated in the drawing consists of a source of supply ofwater I, a vertically disposed pipe 2 communicating at the upper endthereof with said source of supply of water, a pipe 3 communicating withsaid vertical pipe 2 and a receptacle 4, a compression chamher 5 thelower end of which communicates with the vertical pipe 2 through thepipe 6 and the upper portion of which communicates through the pressuretransmission pipe 1 with the upper portion of said receptacle 4, adischarge pipe 8 extending from the lower portion of the said 5receptacle 4 upwardly to conduct fluids flowing therethrough to thefiume 9, and valves II], II, and I2 controlling the flow through therespective pipes in which the same are located.

As illustrated in Figure 1 the device illus- 10 trates one in which thetransmission medium is air; the operation being as follows:

Considering both the compression chamber 5 and the receptacle 4 to beempty, the valve H is first closed and the valve l0 opened when waterwill flow by gravity from the source of supply I through the pipes 2 and3 into the receptacle 4 to fill the same. When the receptacle 4 is thusfilled with water, the valve i0 is closed and the valve l I opened whenWater will flow through the pipe 2 and the pipe 6 to fill thecompression chamber 5; the valve 12 being closed.

As the compression chamber fills with water, the contained air will becompressed in the upper portion thereof and flow through the pipe 1 intothe upper portion of the receptacle 4 when the water contained in thereceptacle 4 will be forced upwardly through the pipe 8 and dischargedinto the flume 9 situated above the source of supply I. The valve i2 isnext opened to drain the com- 80 pression chamber 5 of water and refillthe same with air when the valve I2 is again closed. This cycle ofoperations is repeated to elevate further volumes of water.

As will be apparent, a residuum of compressed air will be evacuatedthrough the discharge pipe 8 at the end of each cycle of operationunless some means be employed to prevent. A manner of utilizing theexpansive force of such compressed air may be employed by substitutingthe receptacle shown in Figure 2 for the one shown in Figure 1 at 4.

The receptacle shown in Figure 2 is characterized by a pipe l3communicating at opposite ends with the upper portion of the receptacleand the lower portion of the discharge pipe 8 respectively to conductcompressed air into the lower portion of the discharge pipe 8 from theupper portion of the receptacle 4 in a manner well understood to reducethe aggregate weight of the water column in the discharge pipe 8 andhence provide for correspondingly greater elevations of water.

The diagram in Figure 3 illustrates a variation of the device shown inFigure 1. In this manner 66 of use the water previously raised asthrough the discharge pipe 8 Figure l is utilized as a second source ofsupply for a secondary water column of greater height than the first.

Referring to Figure 3 the original source of supply or" Water isindicated at l, the primary water column at 2, the compression chamberat 5', the intermediate receptacle at 4, the primary discharge pipe at8', the secondary source of supply at 9, the secondary water column atH, a discharge pipe extension iB' conducting water to the fiume iii, andcontrol valves H, I2, [6, l6, and i5.

In the operation of this device water is first raised to the secondarysource of supply as in the manner of operation of the apparatus shown inFigure 1 just described. Assuming that the secondary source of supplyhas thus been supplied, the valves Eii', ll, l2, and iii are closedafter a fresh charge of water has been admitted into the intermediatereceptacle i from the original source i as in the first instance.

The valve i5 is next opened and the water in the secondary source Sallowed to flow by gravity into the compression chamber 5, where, asbefore, the air in the upper portion thereof will be compressed andcaused to flow into the intermediate receptacle 4 through the pipe I,forcing the water contained in the intermediate receptacle to fiowthrough the discharge pipe 8' and extension thereto iii when it will bedischarged into the home i3 at a still higher level.

In Figure 4 is illustrated another adaptation of my invention. In thisuse, water is first elevated to the secondary source of supply 9 as inthe manner first described for the apparatus shown in Figure 1. Thevalves ii and 25 are opened and the water contained in the compres sionchamber 5 is allowed to drain out through the valve i2 after which thevalves ll, l2", and

20" are closed.' The valve it) is opened to fill the intermediatereceptacle 6 and the valve 2!" is opened to fill the secondaryreceptacle 22 from the secondary source 3". When this is complete,

the valve 2|" is closed and the valves 55" and 23 are opened. Theremaining water in the secondary source 9" flows through the secondarycolumn i'i into the compression chamber ii causing a flow of compressedair through the pipe I in which this apparatus may be used to compoundthe functions of the apparatus as a whole or parts thereof in variouscombinations to raise water to constantly increasing elevations. It isto be observed that the method shown in Figure 3 provides for elevationscorresponding to the arithmetical progression, and the method shown inFigure 4 provides for elevations in the order of the geometricalprogression.

While the operation of the several forms of the apparatus illustratedhas been described as when used with air as a power transmission medium,it will be readily apparent that any fluid, either liquid or gaseous,may be used in lieu thereof if such fluid is lighter than the water tobe elevated. In another use, for example, mercury may be used in thecolumns and water used as a power transmission medium to transmit thepressures developed at the lower extremity of the column; mercury, ofcourse, being the element raised to the higher level.

It will also be readily understood that the use of liquids as a powertransmission medium will provide for very efiicient operation, though ofcourse altitude differentials will be governed by the difference ingravity of the media employed. 5

A further deviation in form contemplating the use of elementscorresponding to those described would employ mechanical means arrangedin the form of any one of a number of well known expedients, as thepower transmission medium operating between the compression chamber andthe intermediate receptacle. One such device would consist ofmechanically joined pistons in the compression chamber and theintermediate receptacle respectively by means of which the pres- 5 surein the lower chamber would be utilized to actuate the piston in theintermediate receptacle. Such a device would operate quite efiicientlybut of course be more costly to construct.

My invention provides an eificient method of raising water by the use ofrelatively inexpensive and durable means.

Having describedmy invention what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for increasing the head of a body of water comprising, apipe extending downwardly 25 from said body, a compression chambernormally filled with a lighter fluid disposed beneath and communicatingwith said pipe, an intermediate receptacle communicating with said bodyof fluid,

a pipe extending from said compression chamber to said intermediatereceptacle, a reservoir situated above said intermediate receptacle, apipe extending from said intermediate receptacle to said reservoir, apipe connecting said reservoir with said compression chamber, a pipeextending from said intermediate receptacle to a level higher than saidreservoir, and valves in said pipes between said body of water and saidcompression chamber, between said body of water and said intermediatereceptacle, between said reservoir and said compression chamber andbetween said compression chamber and said reservoir and an appropriatewaste valve to drain said compression chamber.

2. Apparatus for increasing the head of a body of water comprising, acolumn of water extending downwardly, a compression chamber at the lowerend of said column of water normally filled with a lighterfluid, anintermediate receptacle connected by pipe means to said body of waterand to said compression chamber, a reservoir situated above saidintermediate receptacle and connected thereto and to said compressionchamber by pipe means, a secondary receptacle situated higher than thefirst receptacle connected to said reservoir and to said compressionchamber, a discharge pipe extending upwardly from said secondaryreceptacle to a level higher than said reservoir, and valves in saidpipes between said body of water and said receptacle, between said bodyof water and said compression chamber, between said compression chamberand said reservoir, between said reservoir and said secondaryreceptacle, betweensaid compression chamber and said secondaryreceptacle, and between said compression chamber said receptacles andsaid reservoir respectively, and an appropriate waste valve to drainsaid compression chamber.

3. A device for increasing the head of a body of water comprising, acompression chamber situated below said body of water, a pipe containinga valve connected at opposite ends to said body of water and saidcompression chamber, a valve in said compression chamber venting thesame to the atmosphere, an intermediate receptaclesituated at a levelbetween that of the body of water and said compression chamber, twopipes each containing valves connecting said intermediate receptacle tosaid body of water and said compression chamber respectively, areservoir situ- 5 ated at a level higher than said body of water,

a pipe connecting said reservoir to said intermediate receptacle, and apipe containing a valve connecting said reservoir to said compressionchamber.

EDWARD V. PREN'I'ICE.

